Store-service apparatus



(No Model.)

J. H. GOODFELLOW. STORE SERVIGE APPARATUS.

No. 541,44. Patented June 25, 1895.

NITED Y STATES PATENT Fries.

JOHN H. GOODFELLOW', OF LOWELL, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAMSON CONSOLI- DATEDSTORE SERVIOE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,744, dated June 25,1895.

Application filed March 22,1894. Serialll'o. 504,615. momma.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN H. GooDFELLow, of Lowell, county of Middlesex,and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in- Store- Service Apparatus; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description'ot' the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake anduse the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofthe apparatus, showing the carrier in position at the cashiefis desk.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus at the salesmans end of theway, showing the position of the propelling-wire after the carrierhasbeen dispatched toward the other end of the way. Fig. 3 is a detail viewin perspective of the arresting-stop and latch device. Fig. 4 is adetail view of the carrier with cash-cup omitted. Fig. 5 is a detailview of a modified form of construction for supporting the way at theend.

Like letters and figures of reference refer to like parts throughout theseveral views.

One object of my invention is to provide means for manipulating andpropelling a carrier bya longitudinal extended impulse along a wayconsisting of two wires, one of which is the supporting or track wireand the other 'the propelling wire, to impart an impulse to the carrier.

Another object is to arrest the carrier without shock at each end of theway and prevent its rebound.

Another object is to provide means forlocking and unlocking thepropelling wire to and from the supporting wire, and another object isto provide an improved arrangement of connecting the track andpropelling wires to their respective supportsJ These and other objectsare accomplished by the constructions hereinafter described and shown inthe drawings.

My invention consists of certain novel features, arrangements andcombinations hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

The curved plate A, shown in section, is made of suitable material andis formed with an enlarged rib Ct extending around its outer edge, andit is supported by one or more hangers B B depending from the ceilingover the cashiers desk, and B is a similar hanger at the salesmans endof the way. The clamp O is adapted to fit around the rib a of the plateA, and is secured in its adjusted position by means of the set screw 0.The forward portion of this clamp O is provided with a screw threadedshank 0 into which the bifurcated lever-bracket D is fitted, and a setscrew 61 serves to hold said bracketin any desired radial position soasto adjust it in line with the way. The bracket D'is screwed, orotherwise fastened, to the end of the hanger B, and at the other end ofthis bracket there is located an arm 6 to which a guy rod 8 is connectedto draw the hanger B backward and take up the slack of the apparatus.

. Between the lower ends of the bi-furcated brackets D D there isrespectively pivoted or journaled the levers H H, by suitable pins h.These levers are enlarged in a circular form around their pivots h, andabove the pivot around its periphery is made asuitable groove 71 and inrear of the pivot the lever is provided with an off-set 77. throughwhich a hole 72, is made parallel with the length of the lever and inline with the groove 71 The hole h is made of a sufficient size at itsupper end to receive the track wire, and its other end is counterboredor enlarged to receive the end of said wire when bent back upon itselfto form a loop kuotj of the supporting wire J. By attaching the trackwire to the levers H H the wire is kept taut, irrespective of thepositions of the said lever. Aseries of holes 7&5 are adapted to receivea suitable stop pin to regulate the forward or backward movement of thelevers, and these holes may be used in connecting up the line, as thearm may be swung inward to put the supporting wire under the desiredtension, and by inserting the stop pin in the proper hole the lever willbe held in its adjusted position and after this the propelling wire andconnecting parts measured and adjusted with little trouble. The lowerends of the levers are provided with a curved portion, to which there ispivotally connected the latch arm K by a bi-furcated head K and pivotpin K passing through the same. To the other end of the arm K there is Isecured the latch and stop device N, in which ff represent two outwardlyand upwardly curved guards, arranged upon the device N so that they willstraddle the under side of the supporting wire J when moved upwardly inposition to be latched to said wire, and they are also placed apart fromeach other and the latch G is pivoted between them in the recess 9 bythe screw or pin g. The latch portion is so shaped that its latch lipwill pass over the track wire and back of the guardf, and from thispointit curves upwardly and outwardly to form the cam face 9 and at theextreme upper end there is a stop g which projects outwardlyat rightangles to contact with the guardf. In this stop 9 there is a recess 9which provides a guide for the free end of the spring I, the other endof which is provided with a suitable coil 9 and an eye g in its end,which is fastened in position by a suitable rivet or screw to the bodyof the latch, as shown.

To the latch G and at one side of its pivot there is an arm having aneye ring sin its outer end, to which a suitable screw eye is fastened,and s is a ferrule covering the end of the pull cord 8", and it isscrewed upon the screw portion of the said screw eye, and at theterminating end of the pull cord there is a suitable handle a.

m represents a recess in one end of the latch device N, and is so shapedthat it will receive a wheel 15. represents a hole pass ing through thewheel of this recess, and when a pin is entered and the wheel 15 is inposition the pin passes through the hole 7 in the wheel, thus forming apivotal connection, and 6 is a groove cut in the rim of the wheel, asshown in Fig. 3. The terminating end of the propelling wire is wrappedaround the wheel and then coiled very closely about itself, as shown at7', thereby enlarging and stiffening the end of the propelling wire, andwhich should be ot'suflicient length to penetrate well into the body ofthe carrier. The wrapped end is cut off as shown at m.

The propelling wire P, by reason ofits long leverage connection, ismaintained yieldingly taut and provides a reciprocating movement of thelatch N to and from the supporting wire, whereby said carrier, as itmoves toward the latch device, raises the propelling line and latch upto the way, and asthe latch device receives the momentum of the carrierthe latch is locked to the way and the propelling line is held in theposition shown in Fig. l.

The curved guard S, projecting from the latch device N,prevents therecoilor rebound of the carrier and extends upward toward the carrier,which, being constructed to co-operate with it, is firmly gripped andautomatically released during-the operation of the apparatus.

The carrier M herein shown and described is especially adapted where apropulsion given to the carrier is by a separation of the wires,

wheels.

which operate against the carrier as a moving wedge to propel it fromone end to the other. This carrier consists of the upper part m. and thelower part m and which are similar in shape. Each part has cases 16 atits outer ends, within which are inclosed the The construction ofthecases around the wheels, as shown, prevents the oil, which lubricatesthe wheels, from being thrown ed by centrifugal force as the carriertravels on the supporting wire. The wheels 17 are held in their placesby screws 18 enteringinto one side of the case and screwed into a nut inthe opposite side of the case. The upper and lower halves of the carrierare separable from one another without disturbing the wheels, and thisconstruction is accomplished by forming two depending lugs m upon the upper half m of the carrier, and when the two halves are matched togetherthe shoulders 19 of the lower half [it into the recesses m of the lugs mand a hole in the lugs and shoulders register with one another, and ascrew 20 passes through the same and secures the parts together. By thisit will be seen that the upper half and lower half can be made separateand put together on the way. order to keep the matching center and endportions in line and guard against displacement, I construct dependinglugs 21 on the top half of the carrier, and these project down on theinner side of the lower portion m and bear against the inner walls ofthe opposite matching half; or these lips could be constructed on thelower half and project up against the inner sides of the upper half, asmay be desired. These parts are all proportioned and arranged inrelation to each other so that the space between the carrier body shallhave suilicient room for the passage of the wheels and the propellingand track wires.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modification of the re inforcement connection atthe end of the propelling Wire. In this modification a piece of stiff,spring, steel wire is formed around the wheel 15 and secured by beingtwisted sutficiently to make fast. The other end, after the length ofthe propelling line has been decided upon, is bent at right anglessubstantially as shown at 0, and upon this stem the end of thepropelling wire is coiled tightly and closely around the same. Theadvantage of this adjustment is understood when we assume that theconnection or length of the propelling wire is to be taken up andshortened; thus by cutting off a few rounds of the wire the propellingwire may be forced farther upon the stem rand wound upon it until thewhole is covered like that shown in Fig. 3; the bend 0 preventing itsslipping oft. A rubber cushion similar to the cushion 23 shown in Fig. 3may be used with this arrangement to take up the momentum of thecarrier.

The operation of the aforesaid construction is as follows: Assuming thatthe carrier is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the operator, by

ICO

pulling down on the handle 8 will pull the latch G back and therebyrelease the latch device N from the track J. A continued pull downwardon the handle 8 will move the guard S away from the carrier bodyand atthe same time bring the propelling wireP into play, fgrming a Wedgeforce against the rear of the carrier, and this continued pull will alsocause the levers H and H to vibrate forward diminished.

and backward as the strain is increased. or This action causes the upperwheels of the carrier to be held firmly against the track J, while thepropelling -.wire P is forced downwardly and obliquely against the rearlower wheels of the carrier, which is thereby rapidly moved forward bythe dividing line or leverage exerted against the rear lower wheels ofthe carrier. This action against the rear of the carrier is kept up bythe operator pulling down on the handle 8 until the carrier has reachedabout the middle of the way, and by the impulse which it has thusattained the forward lower wheels of the carrier will gather up at theother end the propeller. The reinforced portion r being more rigid thanthe connecting wire will lift the latch body end upward and force thecam g against the bottom of the track, thus moving the latch G back, andwhen above the wire thespring I moves it in position to lock it with thetrack, and at the same time that this is being done the guard stop S'israised up under the lower curved case 16 of the carrier and holds itagainst rebound. The connection of the carrier with the stop N causes itto slide backward slightly, and the levers vibrating the track wire Jbackward and forward as the shock is transmitted through them to theway.

I do not limit myself to the exact arrangements and constructions shownas the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of myinvention. Having thus ascertained the nature and so forth theconstruction of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a store service apparatus, a supporting-wire, a propelling wire,and movable connections between the supporting-wire and propelling wire,whereby the movement of the propellingwire is communicated to thesupporting-wire, said wires having a relatively fixed relation to eachother.

2. In a store service apparatus, a supporting-wire, a carrier adapted totravel thereon, a propelling wire, and pivoted levers to which therespective ends of the said wires are attached, and by which themovements of the propelling wire are controlled.

3. In a store service apparatus, a supporting wire, a carrier adapted totravel thereupon, means for propelling the carrier, and a upon, meansfor propelling the carrier, anda latch device operated by the carrierfor connecting said propelling means to the supporting wire.

5. In a store service apparatus, a supporting wire, a carrier adapted totravel thereupon, means for propelling the carrier, anda latch deviceconnected to the propelling means and adapted to be latched to the saidsupporting wire by the momentum of the carrier, and means operated bythe attendant for releasing said latch device from the supporting wireand propelling the carrier toward the other end.

6. In a store service apparatus, a supporting-wire, a carrier adapted totravel thereupon, means for propelling the carrier, alatch deviceconnected to the propelling means and adapted to be latched to saidsupporting-wire by the momentum of the carrier, and a guard secured tosaid latch device adapted to prevent the rebound of the carrier. 7

. 7. In a store service apparatus, a supporting-wire, a carrier adaptedto travel thereupon, a propelling wire adapted to propel the carrieralong said supporting-wire, a latch device, to which said propellingwire is connected, adapted when actuated by the momentum of the carrierto latch the propelling wireto the supporting-wire, and pivoted leverssupporting the said wires atone end and having their opposite endsconnected to the said latch device as shown and described.

8. In a store service apparatus, a supporting wire, a carrier adapted totravel thereupon, a propelling wire adapted to propel the carrier alongsaid supporting wire, and a latch device, to which said propelling wireis connected, adapted when actuated by the momentum of the carrier tolatch the propelling wire to the supporting wire, said wire'at the pointwhere connected with the latch device being wrapped upon itself to forman enlarged and stiffened end which is adapted to enter the body of thecarrier as it approaches the latch device from the opposite end of thesupporting Wire.

9. In a store service apparatus, a supporting wire, a carrier adapted totravel thereupon, and a propelling wire adapted to propel the carrieralong said supporting way, said carrier having its frame constructed ofan upper and lower part separable from each other, and having one set ofwheels mounted in the upper part and anotherset mounted in the lowerpart, and between which wheels the supporting way and propelling wirepass. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification,in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this 20th day of March,1894.

JOHN H. GOODFELLOW.

